North Somerset

North Somerset's population grew in the 10 years leading up to 2011. At the same time there were changes in religion, housing tenure and health.

The population passed 200,000

Between the last two censuses, the population of North Somerset increased by 7.4%, from just under 189,000 to 203,000.

The addition of just over 14,000 people means this area's population increased at a similar rate to the overall population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, North Somerset was home to, on average, 3.9 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was higher than the average across the South West

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across the South West, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older North Somerset

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of North Somerset increased by two years, from 42 to 44 years.

This remote area had a higher average age than the South West and remained older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of about 7,400 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by almost 4,000.

About 13% of people in North Somerset are aged between 60 and 69 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, South West and North Somerset by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

More single parents

This area saw the South West's third-largest rise in the proportion of single-parent households.

Across the region, only South Gloucestershire (from 7.5% to 9.4%) and Wiltshire (from 7.3% to 9.0%) saw a greater increase in the proportion of single-parent households.

During this period, North Somerset went from having the 22nd-highest to the twelfth-highest percentage of single-parent households out of 309 English local authority areas.

In 2011, just under 1 in 11 (8.8%) households in North Somerset had a single parent, compared with 7.3% in 2001. The percentage with a married couple decreased from 40% to 36%.

The percentage of households with a single-parent was lower than across the South West

Percentage of households that that had a single parent across local authority areas in the South West and the average across England, March 2011

Religion in North Somerset

The number of people in North Somerset that described themselves as having no religion increased from about 31,000 in 2001 to just under 61,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 17% to 30% of the local population.

The percentage increased at a similar rate to the average across the South West (from 17% to 30%), but at a faster rate than the average across England (from 15% to 25%).

The number of people in North Somerset that described themselves as Christian decreased from just over 140,000 in 2001 to about 120,000 in 2011 (from 75% to 61%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation increased from just over 14,000 to just over 15,000. Both of these figures represented about 7.5% of the total population at the time of the 2001 and 2011 censuses.

Just under 940 people (0.4%) said they identified with a religion other than Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism or Sikhism, up from just under 660 in 2001 (0.5%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population without a religion in North Somerset increased by 14 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, South West and North Somerset by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Housing in North Somerset

The percentage of households that owner their home fell in North Somerset, but at a slower rate than in nearby Bristol.

In North Somerset, the proportion of home ownership decreased from 79% in 2001 to 73% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in Bristol decreased from 63% to 54%.

Across the South West, the share of households that owner their home decreased from 72% to 67%.

Private renting in North Somerset increased from 9.2% to 16%, while the rate of social housing decreased from 9.3% to 9.2%.

The rate of home ownership was higher than across the South West

Percentage of households that that owner their home across local authority areas in the South West and the average across England, March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of North Somerset residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 8.6% to 5.3% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just over 8 in 10 (81%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 69% in 2001. The percentage of North Somerset residents that described their health as fair decreased from 22% to 14%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South West (from 8.5% in 2001 to 5.1% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in North Somerset decreased by 3.4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in North Somerset, the South West and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

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Area report data

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